In a recent panel session I attended at the CAN DO Summit in Glasgow featuring Lina Srebrova, XR Strategist at Digitalnauts, and Prof. Paul Chapman, Director of Emerging Technology at the Glasgow School of Art, the conversation delved into the disruptive potential of immersive technologies, particularly virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), on both society and business ...
Yesterday, Shoosmiths hosted an event by The Fashion Network titled ‘Trend Forecasting & Analysis Masterclass: For Fashion & FMCG Retail Business’. During this event we heard from fashion industry leaders on how the landscape of retail and marketing is ever evolving, influenced by a myriad of factors ranging from consumer behaviour to emerging technologies ...
Forming a ‘club’ or consortium of PE sponsors can be an enticing prospect, offering a chance to be part of something bigger while sharing the risk and bid price associated with the investment ...
On 26 October 2023 the Online Safety Act (‘the Act’) received Royal Assent, enacting rules designed to, in the UK government’s words, make the UK the safest place in the world to be online ...
Shoosmiths’ head of technology sector Joe Stephenson attended the Tech and Innovation Summit, focused on how public and private sector organisations are supercharging innovation into action. In today's rapidly evolving technological landscape, staying ahead of the curve is crucial for businesses and governments alike. Below, we reveal our key takeaways from the event: Data Centres: Meeting the Demand for Growth The digital age has ushered in a surge in data generation and consumption ...
Given the pace of change over recent months it seems a cliché to say we’ve had an eventful couple of weeks for AI, but just a week on from the UK's AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park, which followed hot on the heels of a sweeping executive order on AI from the Biden administration, it is worth reflecting on where the events of the last 10 days or so leave us in terms of prospective regulation of AI ...
Since April 2018, the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) has prohibited landlords from renting commercial properties that do not meet certain environmental standards ...
The King's Speech 2023 unveiled an ambitious vision for the future of transportation - heralding a new era of self-driving vehicles in the UK. The speech introduced a comprehensive plan to integrate autonomous vehicles into daily lives, as part of the government's commitment to advancing transportation technology. The proposed Automated Vehicles Bill will provide the Department for Transport with the necessary authority to certify the safety of driverless vehicles ...
Our latest article in the HR Improve series is focused on workplace investigations, and the steps which employers can take to conduct an effective investigation process. Fairness One of the key steps to ensuring that a fair process is followed during a grievance or disciplinary procedure, is carrying out a reasonable investigation to establish all of the relevant facts of the case and whether further action is required ...
As a part of our conversation with clients webinar series, Helen Wilson, Head of Legal at Weetabix joined Sebastian Price, Partner at Shoosmiths to talk about her experience of career development including success insights, job changes, individual versus organisational impact on progression and more ...
A recent data protection fine highlights the risks of getting a few key things wrong. Fines for large data security breaches always grab press attention, however a recent €600,000 fine from the French data protection regulator (the CNIL) brings into sharp focus the risks for businesses when they get a few key things wrong without any catastrophic failures amongst them ...
This week marks National Fertility Awareness Week in the UK. This annual event, organised by Fertility Network UK, a national charity dedicated to supporting individuals on their fertility journeys, aims to change perceptions and raise awareness for those undergoing fertility treatment. The theme for this year is "Forward4Fertility," emphasising progress and inclusivity in the journey towards parenthood. The staggering fact that over 3 ...
The court has considered the discretionary grounds of opposition under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 (“the 1954 Act”) in the recent case of Gill v Lees News Ltd [2023] EWCA Civ 1178. In the case, the landlord - Mr Gill - served counter notices in response to section 26 requests for renewal tenancies pursuant to the 1954 Act served by the tenant, Lees News Ltd ...
In this article we highlight the most significant employment law cases since July 2023 and the lessons that employers should take from them. Making reasonable adjustments during recruitment The case of AECOM Ltd v Mallon is a useful reminder of the duty on employers to make reasonable adjustments for job applicants who are disabled under the Equality Act 2010 ...
In a surprising turn of events, the Transport Secretary, Mark Harper, announced yesterday that the controversial plans to close the majority of rail ticket offices have been scrapped. This announcement comes as a major relief for both passengers and ticket sales personnel, but it raises questions about the potential repercussions for the rail sector as a whole ...
Module 5 will assess the robustness and effectiveness of procurement processes, the adequacy of items obtained (including their specification, quality, and volume) and the effectiveness of their distribution. It will also consider the UK-wide procurement of lateral flow and PCR tests. The provisional scope for this module lists three key areas of investigation ...
At Halloween, we look at whether data protection laws protect doorstep trick-or-treaters and how technologies such as CCTV and smart doorbells can be used lawfully under data protection law. Along with the ghosts and goblins, bands of happy revellers may be preparing to roam the streets this Halloween to get their seasonal sweet fix armed with nothing more than a pumpkin lantern and hopeful smile ...
At the end of last week, the FT published a guest article on quantum computing. For those unfamiliar with quantum computing, it is the technology that will be capable of harnessing the powers of quantum mechanics to solve problems which are too complex for ‘classical’ computers (the computers of today). Classical computing employs streams of electrical impulses to encode information: an electrical impulse may be only 1 or 0 (i.e. on or off) – a classical 'bit’ ...
On October 24, the Head of Enforcement at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Gurbir Grewal, addressed the New York City Bar Association. Grewal's speech covered a range of topics, highlighting the landscape of regulatory enforcement and compliance by the SEC with three themes: education; engagement; and execution ...
Only five months after its first reading on 17 May 2023, the future is already in doubt for key aspects of the Renters (Reform) Bill. The changes proposed by the Bill include the abolition of ‘no fault’ evictions under section 21 of the Housing Act 1988, meaning that landlords would be required to rely on the more combative section 8 process ...
The Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022 (PSTIA) received Royal Assent on December 6, 2022. The PSTIA makes various changes to the Electronic Communications Code (the Code) – however, its intended effects are only being felt piecemeal, as its provisions are being slowly brought into force through secondary legislation. Ss ...
The flight to quality in the UK’s commercial real estate market has been covered extensively over recent months. Nowhere is this shift being felt more acutely than in the office sector. According to Cushman & Wakefield, take-up of Grade A office space in Central London reached 2.44m sq ft during the first half of 2023 - increasing by 7 per cent on the five-year H1 average. There are many factors driving this shift ...
Clearview AI has escaped punishment in the UK for its global facial recognition database. The reasons why are crucial and will potentially affect the future of privacy for everyone in the UK. Alongside Cambridge Analytica, Clearview AI has emerged as probably the best-known maverick of data analytics based on recent reports. It has been fined by data protection regulators around the world, including in the UK, for developing what regulators consider unlawful facial recognition technology ...
Earlier in the year, we reported on the government’s announcement of increases to visa and nationality fees. These increases to application fees came into force on 4 October 2023, other than the substantial increase to the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) which was expected to come ‘later in the autumn’ ...
In recent times, the financial market has been abuss with discussions about the potential benefits of real estate tokenisation. Several initiatives worldwide, such as Propchain in Dubai, Vave and Equisafe in France, Propellr, Inveniam Capital Partners, and Fluidity in the United States, as well as Elevated Returns in the United States and Thailand, have taken the bold step of launching tokenised real estate projects ...
